A smart ecosystem transforming healthcare through exercise.
Well-being is bigger than happiness.
Pulse Check
Pursuing happiness, Americans have hit a wall.
- The US fell out of the top 20 happiest countries for the first time this year.
- Less than half of adults are “very satisfied” with their lives.
- 45% feel pressured to act happier than they are.
Hedonic adaptation, mass media, and social isolation all contribute — but happiness may not be an ideal end goal.
Bittersweet
Studies suggest striving toward happiness is counterproductive, with those who obsess over it less likely to find it, and those who value it most more prone to depression.
Ashamed of mixed feelings, many have learned to dread undesirable moods. But, science says “negative” emotions serve an evolutionary purpose — with fear acting as a danger signal, tears soothing the nervous system, and unchecked elation linked to mania.
And though no emotions are inherently bad, labeling them so heightens their potential to harm.
Man’s Search
From Aristotle to Viktor Frankl, renowned thinkers agree the good life goes beyond pleasure.
Optimizing for moment-to-moment mood overlooks the long-term role of purpose, exploration, and connection. But, with social media magnifying mimetic desire, many lack an inner compass.
Therapists can hold space but can’t tell clients what their soul craves. Hopeful emotions can map toward meaning, consumers are taking it upon themselves to explore their inner worlds.
Retreat. Just 15 minutes of solitude can calm the mind and body for clearer decisions.
Initiating a reset, City Cave’s hour-long sensory deprivation floats ease excess anxiety. Stripping illusions, Sky Cave’s multi-day dark retreats bring buried emotions to light.
Supporting downshifts, Quiet Parks International helps people find noise-free nature nearby and hosts quiet experiences ranging from tea ceremonies to forest walks.
Reflect. Interrupting unconscious loops, new tech is helping people get unstuck.
AI-powered digital diary Reflectly prompts users to question root causes of emotions, while competitor Daylio’s self-care bullet journal creates charts and correlations from mood data.
The “Duolingo for emotional intelligence,” Ahead promises a personalized pocket coach, pushing people past self-help books with practical skills-based training.
Appealing to the analytical mind, wearables from Feel Therapeutics and Emteq Labs quantify feelings for precise feedback, while Matter Neuroscience demystifies neurotransmitter activity.
Reform. Sparking a movement, organizations are mainstreaming mind-body conversations.
Spanning an app, best-selling books, retreats, and specialized therapy, The School of Life guides individuals and corporations toward their most fulfilling, emotionally literate lives.
With trauma experts Gabor Maté and Bessel van der Kolk as core staff, The Embody Lab is on a mission to make somatic experiencing more accessible.
Relate. Self-knowledge is foundational, but relationships are key to lasting contentment.
Facilitating connection, Intelligent Change designs conversation card games for families and teams. A relational wellness app, Agapé makes expressing appreciation a daily habit.
Backed by Adam Grant and Serena Ventures, Ours is modernizing marital counseling.
Happy Medium
Hedonic happiness is fleeting, but eudaimonic well-being—as defined by ancient philosophers—can be found in an intentional, values-aligned life.
Embracing the full spectrum of the human experience, and abandoning the need to feel “good” all the time, might help reverse America’s malaise.
Punchline: Emotions have hardwired biochemical effects, with too much of any upsetting healthy homeostasis. Beyond maximizing happy hormones, wellness rests in the balance.
🎙 On the Podcast
Function Health co-founder & COO Pranitha Patil discusses revolutionizing healthcare.
Translating 100+ labs into personalized insights, Function is making advanced health data accessible and actionable — simplifying how members monitor and improve health over time
We also cover: Function’s rapid growth, raising $53M in funding, and Pranitha’s vision for an all-in-one health platform.
Listen to today’s episode here.
💪 Concept2 enters strength training
The equipment maker unveiled StrengthErg, a machine using air resistance for strength training exercises, with units set to ship Q1’25.
New flex. Delivering up to 1,500lbs of force in a rower-like frame, users train seated leg presses, chest presses, and rows while tracking progress through a synced app.
R&D. Considered the gold standard in cardio-endurance, Concept2 spent two years developing StrengthErg, with the founders citing personal interest in strength training for longevity.
Big lift. As exercisers prioritize strength workouts, equipment brands are innovating.
- Hydrow bought smart strength brand Speede, while OxeFit landed $17.5M.
- Tonal upgraded workout metrics as at-home strength rival amp emerged.
- Technogym debuted connected dumbbells, beating Kabata’s AI pair to market.
Elsewhere… EGYM added $200M, FitLab acquired Assault Fitness, and Rogue launched a rowing erg.
Takeaway: While classic machinery is timeless and effective, strength training needed a modern upgrade — and Concept2 was thinking outside the box.
🔮 Shaping industry change
EGYM has a clear vision for the future of health and fitness.
With connected fitness equipment, AI-powered gym software, and comprehensive corporate wellness offerings — it’s leading the shift toward proactive, preventative health.
For corporations. Partnering with companies worldwide, EGYM’s Wellpass program improves employee health by expanding access to premier fitness and health facilities.
For gyms. Upgrading gym floors, EGYM equips operators with smart equipment and AI tools to create hyper-personalized training plans for every exerciser.
All together, its ecosystem is transforming healthcare through exercise.
Learn more about its intelligent solutions at EGYM.com.
💊 SuppCo takes on supplement transparency
The supplement companion app raised $5.5M to help users choose effective brands, create personalized stacks, and track efficacy over time, with:
- Unbiased TrustScores measuring 29 key quality attributes for 500+ brands
- 80+ tailored supplement stacks curated by functional medicine experts
- Scheduling, reminders, and daily intake tracking
Consumer-driven. Three quarters of Americans take supplements—with many claiming positive results—but lax regulations have made the industry a wild west, leaving shoppers to rely on anecdotal info.
Building an evidence-based discovery platform, SuppCo aims to simplify preventative wellness and empower people to find effective prescription med alternatives.
Science-backed. With biotech arms built into their business, brands like Seed and Pendulum are filling gaps between clinical and consumer offerings, upping category-wide standards.
Another approach, Thorne offers DTC diagnostics and partners with Mayo Clinic for research, while Cristiano Ronaldo just backed Bioniq’s blood biomarker-derived daily formulas.
Looking ahead: From choosing trustworthy products to managing interactions, supplementation isn’t straightforward. Playing watchdog, SuppCo wants to build a collective—of consumers, researchers, and brands—committed to elevating the category’s future.
📰 News & Notes
- Noom adds AI-powered body scans.
- Tonal unveils new strength training metrics.
- Actor Tom Holland drops premium NA beer.
- Australia’s utopian wellness city takes shape.
- ASRV, Equinox partner on women’s training gear.
- GymNation expands in Saudi Arabia, plots MENA growth.
- Represent 247 expands apparel range with hiking collection.
- Mateina launches yerba mate and electrolyte-infused drink mix.
- STRONG Pilates pushes expansion, plots 77 nationwide locations.
- Magic Mind launches caffeine-free mental performance gummies.
- Amazon’s One Medical plans brick-and-mortars with Cleveland Clinic.
- Bodybuilding.com readies 2025 relaunch, restocks Kaged supplements.
- FTC passes “click-to-cancel” membership legislation, impacting budget gyms.
- Reach the Fitt community: Submit a press release or secure a newsletter sponsorship.
💰 Money Moves
US 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦
Biotech company Holobiome raised $9M in a seed round for mental health-focused probiotics.
Virtual digestive care company Oshi Health closed a $60M Series C led by Oak HC/FT.
At-home testing startup Ash Wellness secured $10M in a Series A round.
Manifest, a Gen Z-focused digital wellness company, raised $3.4M in funding.
Supplement companion app SuppCo secured $5.5M in a seed round co-led by Union Square Ventures and True Ventures.
Supplement brand Cymbiotika completed a $30M debt financing round led by RevTek Capital.
Modern golf apparel brand Quiet Golf raised an undisclosed amount in a seed round led by Old Tom Capital.
Electrolyte drink maker CURE added an undisclosed investment from Santatera Capital.
Functional gum brand Neuro Gum received an undisclosed investment from DJ Steve Aoki.
Non-alc beer brand Best Day Brewing added $12.5M in new funding.
BelliWelli, maker of fiber-rich supplements and snacks, closed a $10M Series B round.
Ozlo Sleep secured $12M for sleep-supporting earbuds.
AI-driven gait analysis startup OneStep secured $36M in a Series B round.
Europe 🇪🇺
Minze Health, a Belgian digital care company specializing in urinary conditions, raised $5.3M in a new funding round.
British on-demand beauty marketplace Ruuby added $2.6M in a funding round.
German club operator LifeFit Group acquired Buena Vista Fitnessclub, operator of five German gyms.
AI-personalized supplement maker Bioniq landed undisclosed funding from footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
Asia 🌏
Indian eldercare startup Primus secured $20M in a round led by General Catalyst.
Indian ayurvedic gut health brand Lifechart raised $500K in a seed round.
Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.
